The best financial wisdom I have picked up for over the years is that there is usually a way to have something virtually identical for much cheaper. Or, the good things in life don't have to cost a lot of money.

Just seems to be a constant recurring theme in the discourse of personal finance. A recurring theme in everyday conversation with people around me.

& so today I feel blessed that I know I don't have to spend a lot of money for x, y and z.

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I was just reading an absurd quote about the cost of public college 20 years down the road. something like 25 times what I paid for my education, anyway. I just have to roll my eyes. If my kids have to pay 25 times as much for their education, we will sit down and ask them if it is really worth it. My feeling would be, no.

I know the experts are just trying to get parents to plan and save, but people like us just roll our eyes at the tactics.

Don't get me wrong - I am sure plenty people have and will pay that much for an education. I just don't see the point.

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I got the City Parks/Rec catalog for spring classes. Seems kind of premature, but classes start Feb. 1 I suppose.

Was flipping through. Might sign dh and BM up for a family tennis class. Might be best to wait for summer, but then again, the weather is much nicer now. He doesn't start track until March, so may give it a go for February. Maybe $50 for 4 hours of tennis classes - a steal. (Dh and BM can then fill us in). BM is such a natural, we may sign him up for more classes as well. Later on anyway - when track is over.

We did sign him up for track, too. Starts in March. He could participate for as little as $50. I find these non-profit sports things to be so inexpensive. The funny thing is a number of people have told me that "it is *so* expensive." Since we pretty much just pay per diem (uniforms, supplies) and all the coaches and everything are volunteers, I just have to roll my eyes. We paid $150 to sign him up competitively. Will see how it goes. I personally don't know of a cheaper way to get him so much instruction in sports - the coaches have always been really good. Meanwhile, I have got friends who make twice our income, complaining about the cost. I don't *get* people.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we will probably sign the kids up for private swim lessons in the spring, immediately before our pool opens. BM doesn't really need it, but could practice his form and more advanced swimming. LM could probably use a refresher. I suppose when it comes to swimming, we find private lessons more cost efficient. We were lucky to have a private teacher come to our pool, on the less expensive side, in years past. You can tell when you hang out at our pool - most of the kids in the neighborhood are phenomenal swimmers. I suppose the ones that are there all the time also get ample practice. We were discussing a less expensive route this year, since they have the basics down, mostly. I told dh, "yeah, but they will learn 10 times more in those private classes - they are so exceptional." Was very pleased with this one place. Hopefully this is the last year we feel the need to spend the money.

Of course, if we didn't have the money, something cheaper would certainly do.

I suppose we will keep very busy the next few months!

I think I have completed most my financial chores. They didn't take long at all. (Printed year-end statements, stuff like that). My list might have looked long, but it took little time. I am too efficient to waste a lot of time on chores. Much better things to do!

Next weekend I will finish my taxes (not much to do) and file with the state to expedite my refund (before we get into IOU territory again - I can hope).

I hear now that IRS will accept my tax return Feb. 14? Which is sooner than expected. OF course, that is where the bulk of my refund will come from.

As the refunds arrive, I will put them into my IRA.

May just do the same plan for 2011. I can put $8k into our ROTHs this year (if all goes well) and can maybe put $2k into our regular IRA, helped heavily with 2011 tax refunds.

Will see how the year goes though. My overtime bonus is earmarked for our 2012 medical deductible, but I am kind of tempted to put it to the mortgage instead. As a compromise, no decision will be made until the end of the year. It just depends how the year pans out. The mortgage motivation is to get to $199,999 by year's end. I could admit it is purely psychological, but we borrowed a few thousand dollars in our last refi (closing costs) and feel in a good position to repay those. I don't expect to keep hitting the mortgage quite as hard after that is repaid. IT was a good decision at the time (knocked another percent off our loan), and we had no cash to spare at the time, but would like to at least get that part paid off now that we are better able to. IT may seem silly, but we didn't get where we are at current, borrowing money for closing costs. It's something we normally wouldn't do and would like to pay off if we can.

Unfortunately, both our windshields were cracked in the last month. It's not a huge deal (we can get them both fixed very cheaply), but I can't help but feel it might be a bad omen. Just a reminder that there always seems to be something. More than the usual, lately.

As long as dh needs frequent MRIs, I expect we will max out our deductible. & we seem to be in the habit of maxing out before January even ends, with all these surgeries. So, I am not going to rush to put all that money to the mortgage, just yet. IT's an idea for December 31.

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I don't think I fully realized how stir crazy I was. Every time I feel my neck swelling more, I just limit myself to the couch. As such, I've mostly been a big couch potato during recovery.

Yesterday, we went on a long drive to the dentist, visited with my folks, and went out to dinner (YUM!)

& my swelling went down considerably.

I have had my doubts about returning to work in a couple of days, but am feeling much better about that. Phew! Maybe being a lifeless lump hasn't been the best thing for me. Everyone freaks out when I do anything, though. Can't win!

I also under estimated how stir crazy I was. The weather was just GORGEOUS yesterday, the landscape more beautiful than usual. Usually I am a home body but all I could think on the beautiful drive was how I Wanted to get out and go on a hike and go to San Francisco some weekend, etc., etc.

Anyway, it felt good to see some different sights and sounds besides the ones inside my house.

We have also been on a very unusual and long rain streak, and it could just be the sunshine. I believe it was 75F+ degrees yesterday. Nothing but sun in the forecast. Phew! My body was not used to not having sun for so long, that is for sure. Maybe I just needed a good dose Vitamin D.

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My dad sent me this article the other day (& to some other relatives).

WATCH OUT FOR THESE INVESTMENTS

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/198...

I was telling him about Tobias' book "The Only Investment Guide You Will Ever Need." My dad doesn't much care for books, generally, but it piqued his curiosity.

Since we got another $40 in Amazon gift cards, I decided to just ship it to him (depending on the cost).

I had never bought used through Amazon before, but dh has certainly sold his fair share of used items on there. So, I gave it a whirl.

The cost + shipping wasn't much less than the current sale price of the book, BUT I would have had to pay more shipping otherwise. We usually never buy anything until we can congregate $25 of purchases for free shipping. In this case, I found a new book from an amazon seller, and the book + shipping cost $6.

If he doesn't like it or care for it or want to keep it, I'll just ask for it back. I borrowed it from the library when I read it, but I probably something worth having on hand. Unfortunately, the ebook prices weren't very appealing. But, it's one of those books where I might prefer to have on hand to flip through. Might be for the best. If he likes it, I might just have to borrow it and skim through it again.

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I decided to buy book #3 in my Fire & Ice/Game of Throne series. Ebook is $5.99. Dh told me it was not on sale still - but not that it cost about half as much as the others (the others I bought on sale for $5).

I picked up the book (dh has it), looked at the 1200 pages on fine print, and thought, "uh uh." I suppose the other perk of the ebooks is you can take any ebook and make the font as large as you want. I doubled the font size for the last 1600 pages, and would like to do so for this super monstrosity book. Not only is the book 1200 pages, but it would be more if it was the size of an average font.

I value my eye site, but also have a gift card balance, so the book will be free to me, anyway. Returning to work, busy season and all, lord knows when I Will finish it.

Didn't expect I'd be making extra mortgage payments this year. Seemed a distant goal, but so far this year has been going better than expected. (Hope it stays that way?)

I revised my financial goals in my sidebar since I have a $2k tax refund to apply to the IRAs & an extra $50/month for the mortgage.

Dh received $20 for his birthday (from his Grand Dad in Florida). I asked him if he wanted to spend it or put it to the mortgage. (Honestly, usually I take birthday money to pay the bills, Lately, it seems, anyway). I wouldn't have cared if he actually wanted to enjoy the money, but he chose the mortgage. (If I had asked ROTH or spend, he'd choose spend). I am realizing that he is much more on board with paying off the mortgage. It is what it is, but I think we will do better than I expect this year, with him more willing to scrounge a few dollars here and there for the mortgage.

He just hates debt so much and the more I talk about the mortgage and show him how little principal we pay every month, the more motivated he seems.

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I paid the bills for February. I wanted to lock in the mortgage payment for February, but since January hasn't posted yet, I will wait a week or 2.

I added $50 from income, dh's $20, and $3 of rounding. An extra $73 for the February payment. It's in Quicken so I don't forget.

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All the money I would usually put to savings in February is going to my surgery (& then some). I paid a $2k deposit (on the card) and one of these days they will bill me $1k for the rest of our deductible. It's done.

So, not much progress to show for January/February, but GLAD I have the cash.

Dh just sold a pile of toys for $35.

Not bad!

Actually, he just wanted to put it all up for free. Which, usually I am fine with. Rather be decluttered than spend the time to sell a bunch of low-worth items. BUT, I felt one of the toys could easily fetch $20+, so I asked him to try and sell that one.

He put them all up and offered $35 for the lot (or more, bought separately).

Took about a day to sell. Phew!

He is keeping the money for game buying/selling, BUT expects a $100 sale with his recent game purchase. He can at least give me $50 of that - to the mortgage. He also sold enough already this month to pay for our $50 charity dinner. I guess January is a good month.

Since we plan to put a lot into our ROTHs this year (will see), we had talked of putting this extra money to chip at the mortgage this year (goal to get below $200k - need an extra $3k or so to do so). With this goal in mind, will probably be more likely to send small extra payments in throughout the year.

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I am still feeling great and Doctor says if my mood/energy level hasn't been affected yet, it probably won't be. But testing my thyroid levels in a few weeks to be sure. He still thinks I should rest and my thyroid is swelling a lot today, so I am taking heed. I know I have the energy level for work - I just hope it is not too stressful. The difference will be night and day when I return (absolutely nothing to do at home versus crazy busy at work due to both the time of year and my absence). I am planning to ease in mid-week with a couple of half days (before my clients know I am back and bombard me).

I'm almost done with my second 800-page book and will probably put the series down after that so I can get something done. I've only got a couple of days left and have some stuff I should get done around here, before I go back to work.

For some, TV makes them feel unproductive and lazy, but for me it is reading. I don't sit in front of the TV for HOURS like I do when I can't put down a book. But, it's been a good diversion to help the time pass. I am just not sure how committed I am to the next 2 books, during tax season. More time after.

Dh is probably annoyed I haven't been much in the mood to watch hours of TV - I have watched little.

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I do admit I have been a little stir crazy. I am sure dh will be pleased when I return to work because I have been grumbling about my honey do list and seems to me that dh exaggerates how *busy* he really is. As such, I am sure I have been a wee bit naggy.

All that said, I know myself quite well. There isn't much about full retirement (not working at all) that appeals to me. For a day or two I might have lashed out at dh a bit, but by day 3, 4, 5, I just wished I was back at work. I am sick of everyone telling me how awesome it must be to get all this time off work.

I know that the average person thinks it is great to stay home all day, but unfortunately (or fortunately) that is not me. As such, when I get back to work I will be glad to be back (& grateful dh can attend to the tedium at home).

Last time I was home for a time (months, actually) was when LM was born. That was completely different. I enjoyed staying home, but I probably felt a lot better and kept far more busy. Now both kids are in school so there isn't much left to do around the house. Being a classroom helper or anything like that is very low on my list of desires.

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In financial news, my paycheck (net) was bigger than expected. All I told dh was that this year was going to be TIGHT, but then with all these tax breaks, it isn't really tight at all.

I revised the "budget" and decided to add $50/month to the mortgage.

Short term saving remains at $1200/month (should be more than ample).

I revised mid term savings from $400 to $415/month (for an even $5k per year - just about).

I revised the ROTH from $625/month to $650. Essentially up to a full 10% of gross.

How quickly I can return to work full force (& earn overtime) determines the fate of the rest of the year, I suppose.

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Dh and I did have a talk about him looking for work this year. He has been trying to volunteer more at the TV station (where he wishes to get a job). After our talk he tried again and immediately got a reply from a high up at the station who has already said he would like to hire him (if he could get the budget). I think it is awesome if *he* knows how much time dh has and what kind of other work he can do.

Anyway, the fact that this particular person is going to somewhat oversee or assign dh's volunteer work, is a very good sign. For one, there is a lot of work to be done (no one else can coordinate volunteers?). Secondly, he already expressed interest in hiring him, when dh told him he would have more time during the week, before. So, will see!

Our discussions of him working have little to do with our current finances (should be a really good year). But, I just told him I would really appreciate him finding a job so that I have more flexibility to transition to a new workplace. My boss may retire any minute. If I stay depends on if I have the choice and who takes over. At current, no one wants to take over, and past candidates were many I would not want to work for. So dh will volunteer while I brush up my resume. No point in him actually looking for work until summer is over. We had already agreed he would not work the first year the kids were in school. I thought it would be a tougher year (it hasn't been), but tax season and summer are hard times to think of jumping back into the workforce. Hopefully job prospects are better come fall. They are currently pretty darn slim. I think volunteering and making more contacts is his best use of time, at current.

Dh is taking me out to B&N today for a free smoothie. HE already redeemed the coupon on the nook, but I guess you can go redeem it any time (when you log into their wifi?)

Dh got me smoothie fixings, but I have been too lazy (not tired - just lazy) to make them. Or to ask dh to make one. A free one sounds nice though.

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I haven't been "doing too much" or doing much of anything because I have a fair amount of swelling. Probably not a lot, but it is uncomfortable. I now know what it feels like to have a large growth in my neck - not fun. So as long as I am swelling, I am sitting pretty still. Which is fine since I am getting way into my book series. Book #2 is another 800 pages or so.

I also haven't slept in my bed at all because laying more flat is uncomfortable. Oh well - getting used to the couch.

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I do have the financial chore to print out 12/31 statements - maybe I will do today or tomorrow.

**School decided on an awesome fundraiser this year (versus a most lame one last spring). Anyway, they made arrangements with a local cooking school. For $50, we get a gourmet meal, and they may also add a childcare component to the fundraiser. Since they had limited spots, dh signed up the second he got the e-mail. Plus, he already made enough money on amazon this month to make up for it (now that I think about it).

**Saved some money today. Doctor rescheduled my appointment. Was going to drop the kids off at care, but they rescheduled for a morning later in the week - while kids are at school. I figured he'd look at my incision, say "looks good," and that would be the extent of it. I even feel up to driving myself, but dh insists on going with me.

**Tonight I get to ESCAPE the house for dinner. Yay! The restaurant where dh frequently meets our parents to trade off kids (about 60 miles away) was closed down and they ended up finding a cheap buffet. I wasn't that impressed when they took me on a Sunday. The prices were expensive for Sunday brunch and it had a bit of a *ghetto* feel. Dh swore lunch was much better than the dinner menu they were apparently serving. The ice cream was disgusting, too.

That said, dh swore by their lunch, and they opened the same restaurant chain right by my work. Since I work in a terrible area, I wasn't overly thrilled to check it out. (Um okay - so they like to operate in less than desirable locales).

& then we walked inside...

The price was a little stiffer in Sacramento, but we quickly let it go. The scene was right out of Vegas. Otherwise I have never seen a bigger buffet. It was huge and yummy.

SO, we had promised to take the kids sometime. They love buffets and always get their money's worth. Just $4/each for them and their giant stomachs.

So, since I no longer have a doctor appointment to go to, we decided to go out and eat. Will check out dinner, anyway. We couldn't swing lunch with the kids any time the next week or so.

**We had agreed to sign up BM for track this winter, but I was worried when the local track club had not updated their website. Wonder if they went broke or something - lack of interest? (My kids love the track and love to run - but I know few like them). Even LM wants to sign up - but he is too young (he never wants to sign up for anything).

Anyway, I meant to e-mail the club and express interest, but it's been a bit crazy here.

Thankfully, I saw they updated their website. To join for "recreation only" is a mere $50. But I will probably just sign up for "competition" at $150.

**I am relieved that I should feel up to the dentist Saturday. IT will be a sad day. Our last visit with my very affordable/reasonable/conservative forever dentist.

I have no other plan but to ask around a LOT - we may have to try a lot of dentists this year. I've already tried two highly recommended dentists up here that were nothing but scammy. *sigh* I dread it and will probably send out dh this time around. See what kind of random dental work the scammers will dream up for him. I Was quoted several thousand for work I clearly don't need. That was almost a decade ago, and my teeth are still healthy as they always have been - no work needed. We decided to stick with our dentist back home - the drive no longer sounded so bad. (The scary part was how highly recommended these dentists had been!!)

Anyway, I'd mostly like to drive there and back (usually we'd make a weekend of it). But, if I feel up to it, we will meet my parents for dinner at a favorite restaurant, before driving back home.

I will eat well this week!

**Finally, retirement officially hit six figures on Friday. Yay, stock market. Not holding my breath that it will last long, but feels nice for now. I didn't put much in the market last year, but will resume more aggressive contributions next paycheck (Feb. 1). Yes- must be why the market is high.

**Oh, I finally finished my 800-page book. On to book 2. I've done little this week but read, and go for some short walks. The book is good motivation to sit still. It started out kind of "eh," but as it gets more complex it is harder to put down. I am hoping to finish book #2 on the Nook (getting used to the larger granny print I can use). For book #3, all I have is a book with a font that looks like a 6. Ugh. Dh is keeping an eye out for it to go on sale. My eye site may be worth $10 for book #3.

Dh was spoiled for his birthday and got a roku box.

Problem is, it is not getting an HD signal in our bedroom. He has been wanting a new router anyway, so picked one up with the Amazon gift card. Hopefully that will fix the problem.

Just one more bump in the road to "no more cable."

We can stream hulu and netflix directly on our new TV so this gives us access to all this stuff on our other TV.

Dh had experimented with a computer set up at some point (forgot the name of it) but this is so much nicer/easier/better.

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I don't remember the last time my life was THIS boring. LOL. Dh and the kids have left me before (a weeks' vacation - a couple of times) but I had so much I felt I had to do around the house. I had to work. I got together with friends.

Sitting on the couch, reading, and watching TV all day, is getting pretty old.

I'll give it a couple of more days, but am going to start finding some projects around the house very soon.

I feel GREAT! I am also eating us out of house and home. SO hungry! Healing must take a lot of energy.

I think my Doctor lied to me! He told me many times patients go home the same day. I don't think I could have done better but got stuck in the hospital overnight. I told dh I found it hard to believe I could have done any better and released early.

Anyway, thankfully I am home and I can actually rest now!

Surgery went very well. Definitely the best anesthesia experience I have had.

I haven't had any pain meds since they gave me morphine when I first woke up (had a mad headache) and I Feel GREAT! So I expect recovery to be pretty quick. I did have a drain tube which was pretty uncomfortable, so am glad to be free of it. Doctor took it out today and released me. Phew!

That said, the nurses were very responsive to me (best hospital experience we have ever had) and dh bought me some really good ear plugs yesterday. Not that they didn't wake me up every hour all night, but I got more rest than I could have otherwise. Thank you earplugs!

Biopsy during surgery was inconclusive, as expected. So I get to keep half my thyroid for now. Did not find anything bad. Get more biopsy results in a month. I think this was the best outcome we could expect. The doctor did not expect anything conclusive during surgery due to the type of mass it was. At least he didn't tell me it looked horrible, had spread, and/or decided to take the whole thing.

It's good to be home!

I haven't had much time to think about my impending surgery, which I think works out just fine. I am a very "one thing a time" person. I could spend the last months worrying if I have cancer, or I can just wait and see if I do, and then worry about it. Kind of how I Feel.

Anyway, I have had a lot of questions about when I Will get biopsy results, etc. Honestly, I just want to get through this surgery and heal. I presume I won't know until I meet with my doctor next week, and that is fine with me. I don't foresee thinking much about it while I recover.

I think a big physical/emotional strength for me is being a good sleeper. I always have been. (More like - it is often hard for me to stay awake!) That said, I Was starting to feel anxious last night and expected a night of tossing and turning. Imagine my surprise when I conked out around 9pm and didn't awake until about 5:30am. I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I Saw the clock. Aaaaaaaahhhhhh. Don't think I could have slept better.

Though I am anxious about my surgery, yesterday I left behind a lot of stress at work. I don't have to think about work for a couple of weeks, and since it has been unusually stressful lately, I think that contributed to a really good night sleep.

I've had a few surgeries before so I feel rather zen about it. I could see freaking out a lot more if this was my first time under the knife.

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I don't have to be at the hospital for a few hours. Just enough time to take the kids school and to leisurely pack a bag. Then we will go on our way. I am glad I didn't have to leave at dawn, before the kids woke up. Though beyond that would be nice to get it over with I suppose.

I am not sure if I will get to come home today, but I can only hope! I am mentally preparing myself how it is probably best to stay in the hospital if I Feel really crappy. (They said maybe 50/50 I stay over night)? That said, I am very healthy and tend to be able to come home on the sooner end from procedures, so I mostly expect I will be home tonight. Which makes me VERY happy. I can hardly think of anything worse than being stuck in the hospital overnight. If nothing else, I find it impossible to rest in that environment. All I will want is some peace and quiet! Even with two rambunctious boys at home, they sleep soundly about 9 hours a night and go to school 7 hours a day. Plus dh can take care of them and wait on me. Coming home sounds very nice!

No matter what, I should be home soon. Phew!

Did I mention I am sick of hospitals?

For any new/casual readers:

2009 - My dad narrowly survived both a stroke and a heart attack (a few months apart).

That was a hard year.

Of course, then my dh was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

2010 - dh's surgery - we are on wait and watch to see if it grows back.

2011 - I am having my thyroid removed (partially) this week because it has a large mass on it. They can't tell if it is cancer or not - will have to biopsy the mass once it is taken out.

Meanwhile, I have very healthy kids, and I know so many people dealing with so much worse at the moment (young fathers who have passed, lots of brain cancer going around, etc.) I feel blessed that it hasn't been worse, that I Still have both my father and my husband, but at the same time I am kind of emotionally exhausted with everything!

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To limit the stress (as much as possible) upon my return to work, I have just been working every day up to my surgery.

I think this is an extra fine strategy. I hadn't thought much about it because I simply I have so much work to do. That is my sole motivating factor. I suppose that and trying to make up time off so I get paid the entire 2 weeks I am expected to be out.

Meanwhile, where there is MIL, there is drama. Of course there has been drama. I don't know much about it - I am blissfully unaware. Everyone else can deal with the drama - I have other stuff to worry about. I am thinking this work work work strategy is pretty nice. I've hardly given a thought to the actual surgery. Suppose will cross that bridge when I come to it. Certainly no time to stress about it!

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We haven't bought anything all month but food. Just, groceries. & Dh and I had a lunch date last week.

I told dh I Was in the mood to just go out last night, for dinner. Since I won't be driving to work for almost 2 weeks, we splurged the cost of a tank of gas on a meal out. It was very nice!

Of course, dh had planned to take me to lunch today, too. I will eat well before surgery.

Besides working all weekend we had friends over Saturday and found some time to play tennis yesterday. We are all getting much better. We have 2 tennis courts in a small space, and have never seen anyone else there. Yesterday, someone was playing doubles in the other court. Being terrible players ourselves, I wasn't sure we would stick around long - didn't want to bother them with all our stray balls. In the end we did pretty darn good. Personally, I had extra motivation to aim better, but BM is getting REALLY good. He is simply a natural. I think we only hit 2 balls their way, but they hit a couple our way too.

I probably would have gone to the gym too, but it closed at 6. I think we finished playing tennis around 5:15. (Part of the reason why the membership is so cheap - no frills, not terribly long hours. Closes early on Sunday).

So, tonight I would like to hit the gym, one last time before surgery. (& yes, I HATE this time of year - they gym has been so freaking crowded as it is every January. I can only hope I get a machine!)

Tuesday night BM has piano lessons. I suppose I will spend the evening with my family.

& Wednesday it's surgery for me.

I've been working a hell of a lot, but will just be winding down everything today and tomorrow. I think the worst is over. Phew!

This is officially the week form hell! My first client IRS audit AND then surgery will follow in just a few days.

Ack!

I have been a tax professional for over 10 years. Why is this my first audit? I have been with my current employer for 9 years and his clients rarely get audited. He told me this when he hired me, but boy, did he mean it! They don't bother since there is nothing to find. (Past audits yielded no changes).

I can only hope to find another firm as clean and squeaky (& easy) when he retires.

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I am working all weekend to get as much done as I can before surgery, and to avoid using up too much vacation time, etc.

I don't mind at all - it's kind of easy work this time of year (W-2s and all that - maybe hectic, but easy). & I won't have anyone bugging me so I look forward to actually getting some work done!

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I was talking to my mom about the piano lessons, and she sounded more supportive than last we talked! The funny thing was she said, "When was that?" I Was like, "Last Tuesday." Wait a minute - today is Friday. I feel like WEEKS have passed since Tuesday - it's just been one of those weeks.

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I have been very MIA here and probably will continue to be. But I suppose after surgery I will have all the time in the world to catch back up.

Financially, all I can hope is that I am good as new and back at work ASAP. I paid all the January bills and told dh as long as he picked up my paycheck by 1/30, should be okay. Pay day is mid-month, but I didn't want to rely on it for any bills while I was focusing on my recovery. I will probably just pick up my paycheck upon my return to work.

Other than getting that stuff in order, my mind isn't much on finances. Too many other worries I suppose.

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I suppose I have some major vegging to do. Stress detox tonight.

I told my parents excitedly that I signed BM up for piano lessons.

They weren't very enthused. Said something like, "Why would you pay someone to do that???"

1 - They paid for piano lessons for 20-ish years for me (& I taught for about 10 years - so they know I could handle it).

2 - They are cheap. They think we are hoity toity for all the stuff we do farm out. (I value my time more, that is for sure).

Who know someone raised with such DIY values could be such a lazy bum?

Anyway...

BM had his first lesson. For one, he was 10 times more enthused to be taught by someone else besides me.

Funny side benefit? As I sat there and let someone else do all the work (I read my nook), I felt a little bit of euphoria. Since I taught so long (but it's not my job now) and I enjoy music, I wouldn't say it was a chore to teach my children. Well, before. But all I could think is "one less thing I have to do." I liked it far more than I expected! I've taught so many kids I suppose it was nice to let someone else teach mine.

I came home and told dh that it's really nice to hire people for things!

I hesitate to be too optimistic. Will see how it goes. But definitely a good start.

LM is really naturally musical, but hesitant to try new things. I figured I'd save a few bucks waiting until this spring or summer to get him signed up. Anyway, I offered to teach him so he could keep up with BM. He expressed great interest the last time I brought up this idea (he prefers me over some stranger). But today he told me he wanted to focus his efforts on being a great video game player. The wording he used when he said this was so funny too - I can't remember precisely what he said. (He's 5).

Oy vey!

As his brother improves, the forces of jealousy and curiosity will come over him, I predict.

With the economy and all, didn't expect a raise this year at all.

Anyway, when trying to cut costs, I decided to drop out of our city utility's green energy program. I was hoping to save $6 per month, but it didn't work out so well. Since our balanced budget billing is based on past bills, it didn't change anything when they re-calculated our monthly amount.

Bah!

That said, 2011 is turning out better than expected with all the tax breaks. In addition to extended tax cuts (wasn't sure about those even, before they passed), and the payroll tax holiday, my state income taxes also went down by about 75% (some tax increases expired).

In the back of my mind I had decided to add back our Green Energy option, but hadn't gotten around to it.

Today they just happened to be talking, on the radio, to a marketing person from our electric company. So, when I got to work, I signed up again.

The perk that I didn't intend, was that I could choose a gift card from a handful of vendors. $10 for signing up! (Maybe I should quit and re-sing up ever year - )

I don't know when the gift card arrives but I just picked jamba juice thinking of my upcoming surgery. If my throat is sore, etc., might be nice to have some smoothies. I might not be as up to making my own.

We actually have a different utility company for our natural gas. I have heard not to invest in their green programs. I have heard over the years that our electric company's programs were particularly good. (They are also a non-profit, which makes them a very different animal of sorts).

After hearing about all the program does do, in more detail, I feel more commitment to stick with it.

For merely $6/month, the utility will buy renewable energy - enough to cover our home's entire electric needs. In addition (& this part I didn't realize or I forgot) they use the money to implement more green energy locally. They have used the money to buy solar panels and wind turbines. For the long run they want to make most of their renewable energy, versus buying it from others.

My dad just sent me an article that the IRS is not equipped to accept tax returns until late February? Due to late passage of 2010 tax laws.

So, I wonder if this means I should file my state tax return (to avoid the IOU situation) and file my Federal taxes when I can. Hmmmm. Will probably be my plan of action.

As far as work, no one has their taxes done much before that point, so, eh...

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I also just got the December gas bill. Was shocked because we used 1/2 the gas that we did last December. I would peg January as our coldest month of the year, on average, but this December has been record breaking COLD.

Likewise, last December was our biggest gas usage month for the seasonal year - 75 therms. For December 2010? 37 therms.

I'll give credit to myself. I moved the thermostat down one degree last year and have been better about just showering and dressing in the cold this year. (It no longer bothers me as I have just adjusted. House is usually 60 - 64 degrees in the morning. I take a hot shower, throw on my clothes and go, so, eh).

Dh and the kids walk around in their underwear all winter - I am bundled up to the nth degree with fleece blankets all over the house. I don't do well with cold, but can generally be fine at 68 being well bundled up. Anyway, dh got a robe for his surgery last year (nice and warm) and has actually been wearing it around the house. I can't help but feel with both kids at school and his robe that maybe the heat isn't being turned on as much as usual! I can't help but wonder how much credit the robe should get. Frankly, I don't think it matters much. He is probably just less concerned about the kids comfort since they are both at school all day.

On balanced billing, our bill has been as low as $14/month. I can't help but wonder if it will be lower once it resets. Usually December/January obliterates any credit we built up the rest of the year. Instead, our gas usage this month was the same as last March.

Oh - January won't be so good. I will be home recovering surgery and will probably prefer to keep the heat at 69 all day. I will demand a little more comfort than usual. At night I could care less - I snuggle up with dh and bundle up in blankets. I've lived in much colder/less insulated homes. So at night I can be pretty spartan while sleeping.

As a funny aside, dh was complaining that he was cold the last few nights. He is sleeping in his underwear and wearing a sheet. I told him to get a blanket!! It's kind of funny because I am the cold whimp. Like, get a blanket - what a novel idea! With all my layers and blankets, it hasn't felt any colder to me...

I am in panic mode because I finally got a surgery date. There was a cancellation and so it will be in less than 2 weeks. (Scheduler told me my alternative would probably be March. Ugh!) February would have been fine (preferred). The big deadlines are 1/31, 3/15, and 4/15. BUT, we aren't in the throes of tax stuff yet, too much in January, so I think it will be easier for the rest of the office to pick up my slack. Maybe January is for the best.

Timing is terrible because I have a big audit next week. I was actually hoping to get out of it with surgery. Instead, now it will mean I won't have time to do much else before my surgery. Very frustrating - hope it goes fast and smooth.

To mitigate the panic (& financial side effects of missing 2 weeks of work) I will probably just work every day until the surgery. I was probably going to work Sunday, anyway. So, will enjoy today and tomorrow and then will work every day for about 10 days.

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In other news, I got my nook. Love it!!! The down time of surgery recovery means I will catch up on some TV shows and maybe finish my giant book!

Dh just got some series from Blockbuster - Mad Men? DVR is filled with "Breaking Bads" and we are going through "IT Crowd" on Netflix. I hope it doesn't hurt to laugh - that seems like it will be perfect medicine - will save it for recovery. We have 2 seasons to get through.

I kind of prefer Netflix or Blockbuster as far as just sitting down and watching an entire show. It has its pluses and minuses. Kind of leaves you wanting more, I suppose. But it's hard to get through without a chunk of time off work.

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I'll probably delay some fiscal chores until my recovery.

I already paid all the bills for January. Will have to finalize the credit card payment when it closes Monday.

Today I updated all my mutual funds (made sure all the balances in Quicken matched my actual balances - made sure all dividends posted, etc.). I am actually pretty darn close to $99k in retirement accounts, in the end. Lots of dividends I hadn't downloaded yet.

When the stock market closes (well - when the mutual funds post their closing prices), I will update my net worth. We may be up $3k for the year. After two years of losses, I'll take it! It was a fairly good year, but the house lost value, which hurt us the most.

I got paid, so transferred the last $1k to our IRAs for the year.

I entered all our holdings in yahoo, at 12/30. Close enough since no transactions today. This way, it's easy to keep an eye on stock market returns throughout the year. I just login to yahoo and look at the "year-to-date returns." Though I don't bother tracking every purchase throughout the year.

To do in recovery mode:

Print out year-end statements for all accounts. (Most are online - I just like to have something in paper form just in case).

Calculate our stock market returns for 2010.

Compare 2010 income/spending to 2009.

I usually print out some reports, including net worth, to keep in the long run.

I will also need to print out all the year-to-date numbers for our tax deductions. I already filled in our tax return with preliminary numbers so have a good idea where we are at. Expecting refunds so will file as close to Jan. 31 as possible. (I usually wait until Jan. 31 for any stray 1099s, and to make sure the software is updated, etc., etc.). Last year I filed early enough to avoid an IOU from the state. Since I unfortunately expect a bigger refund this year, I really don't want to get into IOU territory. I suppose the banks took them anyway? I didn't have to deal with that so will be new to me.

I know - I won't even bother risking a refund for 2011. Not from the state!

Our tax situation is so simple. My gross pay = my taxable income, and so I just use my 12/31 pay stub to file my taxes. All of our investments are in IRAs, and so there is no tax considerations. I can run Quicken reports for our interest income (& mortgage interest expense). We don't get any 1099s that I don't already have the info for. But I suppose it's a "just in case" thing that I wait.

This is one reason mortgage pay down is one of our primary goals. We could invest, yes, but we have enjoyed the tax simplicity of not having taxable investments. Throwing extra money at the mortgage keeps it simple.

I didn't get the Nook yesterday.

I decided against it because wasn't very pleased with the library system. Dh decided to check it out (very smart). The website kept freezing and the ebook selection seemed VERY minimal.

I even looked at some bigger libraries in other cities that I knew I could get access too. They seemed to use the same system and so it just kept freezing and had no better selection.

I Felt rather "eh" about the whole thing at that point. Decided to keep an eye out for a sale. I can get a nook for $100 out of pocket now. & maybe be worthwhile if I can get one for even less. But I am in the middle of a giant book/series at the moment, so maybe I should just give it a year (or two!)

That said, I decided to peruse the free Barnes & Noble titles today. There are A LOT. Much better selection than the library. (Or at least, easier to browse).

On a whim, I looked, and the book I am reading right now was on sale for $5. It is like 1,000 pages. All the books in the series were $5 today.

For $120 (+ tax) I think I can get the Nook and all 4 books. I have $100 cash from Christmas. (My mom also gave me $60 for groceries/gas, which I really didn't need, so will use that to just buy the series I am reading).

I am excited! Since I already have these books, I didn't really think it was feasible to buy the ebooks. But $5 seems like a steal.

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This week is the "busiest" deadline week of the year for me. It's not the longest week I will work. I think it always feels so crazy because it is only a 4-day week. I worked a few hours yesterday to lower my stress level a bit.

Anyway, when I drove home from work yesterday, the skies were sunny! (After weeks and weeks of rain - the sun may have peeked out while I was at work some days - but I haven't seen it much). We had gotten tennis rackets for Christmas and so when I got home we hit the tennis courts. Was a perfect day (not too cold). BM is an absolute natural. He did much better than I expected. Dh and I did better than I thought. (We used to play raquet ball a lot. Not sure I've played much tennis, took a while to get used to the ball not being quite as bouncy as a raquet ball). We were terrible, of course, but warmed up pretty quickly.

I don't know how long it will last, but the kids enjoyed doing their own thing and helping keep score. For a while, BM tired out and kept score while LM "played." Since LM didn't do much, dh and I got some decent practice in. We have 2 courts and they played in the second court while we warmed up, too.

They have family classes through the city - very affordable. At the least, BM and I will take a class in the spring. Maybe all of us.

I had to share because with all this snow talk, we were playing tennis in the sun.

I had just tallied the Xmas spending in our last post. But maybe I spoke too soon!!!

We got a free Kindle from credit card rewards.

We LOVE it, but have decided in the process that the nook is more useful. (Our library does not check out books in a format compatible with the kindle, being one of the main factors).

Anyway, that unexpected $50 gift card from a client, was for Barned and Nobles. I haven't perused the website too much, but I know there probably isn't much I want to buy from B&N. (I am sure I could find something, but nothing on my current want list).

On a whim, I opened up the website and started to look around. I thought, "Gosh, what I really want is a nook!" Dreaming of checking out ebooks from the library...

I called dh and said, "I think I want to buy a Nook!" He said he had just read an article that in households, there is an 80% chance is one person has an ereader, someone else in the household will get one. Basically, he wasn't surprised.

Of course, if we get the nook, we will fight over it, for sure. Or it may lead to the purchase of a second nook, in the near future...

At current, I am thinking of buying the nook from Target (I can get 5% off with my RedCard). I will peruse the internet for other deals. Then I can use my Barnes & Noble G.C. for a nice cover and maybe a couple of books? OR, I can pay full price there and just use my gift card. Depends what comes out the cheapest in the end, I suppose. None of the B&N coupons I can find apply to the nook. Figures!

If you see any good nook sales, let me know. We may just go buy in the store this weekend. B&N, Target or Best Buy. The sweetest deal we can find (there doesn't seem to be much in the way of deals at the moment). I buy so much online - I am excited to pick one up in person. Though, I may hold back and wait for a sale.

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ETA: Wanted Nook because dh kept telling me he thought it was better. But now he is researching all the other e-readers, to be sure. Will see. Nook is the front runner, but maybe no hasty decisions this weekend.

I think we usually spend about $500 for Christmas. This year, I didn't pay much attention, but we ended just about dead on at $500.

$60 Teachers, etc. (cash/gift cards)
$0 Scholastic ($230 worth of books for teachers)
$50 Boss gift
$20 Work gift exchange
$75 In-laws gifts (went in with sister/cousins)
$3.50 (for $207 worth of books/games at Scholastic).
$17 Bday/Xmas mom
$35 Bday/Xmas dad
$8 game for sister
$35 treated parents to lunch for bday
$4 Dollar Tree (stocking stuffers)
$50 easel/art set for LM
$15 Marie Callendar pie for birthday
$127 Other gifts for each other (dh, kids, moi)
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$500

As usual, we got far more cash than we spent. Worked out pretty well!

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We've got games coming out of or ears, here. Board games (LOTS), video games, etc., etc. I think the kids will find plenty to do this next week off of school. (Not that I was worried about it before Christmas!)

Oh - the big gift from my folks (for BM) was the Lego MindStorm. It's basically a robot building/programming set. It is SO COOL! Very expensive, and we all kind of thought it might be a bit over BM's head. In the end, it looks like it is right up his alley and he will learn a lot. Definitely a big score there. I am just pleased it turned out so well and am awed by how educational it is. That thing will keep him busy all year (there is so much complexity you can add to it).

Feeling extra blessed this year. IT's just been a very pleasant holiday.

At work I got some divine isotoner gloves in the gift exchange. From clients? Homemade fudge and a $50 gift card!!!! Never gotten anything like that before. What a nice surprise! The boss actually gave us really nice work bags (very functional). & the usual bonus. Woohoo!

Just got home from Christmas with dh's family. It was more muted than usual. BUT, MIL always seems to bring more gifts Christmas day, so lord knows what she will bring up tomorrow! I got some clothing that I picked out, we all got tennis rackets, and I also got some new carry-on luggage. Some calendars. I think mostly stuff I asked for. We didn't get the roku box, but dh thinks we are getting that for his birthday. Will see. If not, we may use the Amazon gift certificate for that.

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Before the gift extravaganza, the kids and I got to meet up with an SA'er. FrugalTexan (Laura) !!! She was very sweet and we had nice meet up at the zoo. It was just kind of a frugal/neutral place to meet up. Was able to squeeze in a couple of hours. IT was our first SA meetup for the both of us.

She was visiting relatives in San Jose, where most of our family lives.

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We just got home and found our front door was piled up with cookies and cards. Feeling very loved this holiday season!

We probably get a few things throughout the week, usually, but just never seen it all piled up at the front door like that.

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My eggs hatched and I can cash flow that $3k ROTH contribution. That was my goal for the year, and I had intended to fund that with my tax refund. So, made the goal a little earlier than expected. Woohoo!

I was feeling hesitant towards the end of the year thinking I may need the cash for medical bills, etc. But, since I am also getting a decent tax refund, I will just transfer $3k into the ROTHs next week. Christmas cash of $1250 will help fund that. I scrounged $750 since I was able to start paying our health insurance with my credit card this month (& thus skipped the payment from the checkbook this month). The last $1k comes from my paycheck 12/31. I have been saving $1k per month to cash. That's the last big push. Next year will focus more to retirement than cash.

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The initial report on the neighborhood fire was "very minimal damage."

BUT, today I heard that the family was staying at a hotel for 3 months (estimated) while the damage is fixed. Wow! We may have $50 - $100 left at the end of the month (got $100 from my mom yesterday, too). I think we will just send it to the family. The neighbors put together a nice haul for their Christmas (their presents were destroyed in the fire), but I can't help but think they may be worried about shelter more than gifts. I think I would be! Will see if there is anything we can do to help.

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Tonight we have our own Christmas traditions, and tomorrow we will spend a nice day with our folks, at home. The fridge is filled with take and bake pizzas. We keep it very low key!

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To my SA family - Happy Holidays!

**I still feel like I have been on full speed the last 2 days (& has affected my sleep - had so much on my mind).

I SO look forward to tomorrow. "Christmas" with the in-laws, and a meet up with a fellow SA-er! If I can manage to stay healthy. We tried last year. Now I remember why I ended up sick and canceling. But it was a bummer and I want to be healthy tomorrow.

Christmas will be nice, too. Nothing really planned - nothing much to do. Dh is picking up some "take and bake" pizza today. I'll make my 5-minute fudge sometime Saturday. Done!

Sunday I will probably work all day. But, I look forward to putting work aside for a couple of days, in the interim.

**I had almost forgotten LM's big easel. We put it together last night. Didn't take too long. It is SO COOL. I am SO EXCITED to give that to him.

BM's big gift will be from Grandpa. IT's some robot/engineering thing.

We don't always do big gifts. It's hard to compete with Grandma - easier just not to get the kids anything!

But once we got the easel all set up yesterday - I just got so excited. I know LM will be in heaven. HE loves to just sit and draw and draw and color all day.

If I can squeeze a few minutes from my work day I am going to hit the dollar store for some paint and erasers. Dh and BM were supposed to get that, but decided on a video game instead. In the meantime, the dry erase board, chalk board, and paper roll will probably be enough (he has crayons and marker for that). But I think the paint will be the best part!

**On top of the madness, we wasted about 3 hours watching a movie last night. Inception.

My dh is the movie buff and we had been waiting a long time to see this. I was relieved when brainy/movie buff said, "I don't get it." Neither did I.

*sigh* That's what I get for listening to hype.

I identified with these review:

"It's a bold, stunning feature of impossible technical virtuosity. It also has the tendency to be about as emotionally stimulating as a college lecture. " From rotten tomatoes

http://insidemovies.ew.com/2010/07/20/inception-why-i-didnt-...

"I found myself more or less entirely baffled by Inception. I tried, I really tried, to figure it out, but I just couldn’t get the hang of it — not really. For approximately two out of every three minutes the movie was unfolding on screen, my honest experience is that it was vague, obscure, scattershot, puzzling, confounding – and, finally, maddening. There were moments, of course, when I was dazzled. How could you not be? Yet even then, I had the feeling that those moments would have provoked virtually the same reaction of “Oh, wow!” awe if I had seen them completely out of context."

That about sums it up.

I can't help but see the potential in this as far as a TV series. There is a LOT to flesh out. But I couldn't help but feel that everything was just so HASTY as they tried to cram all that into one movie.

**It's official. I got my profit sharing money transferred into my IRA. (Employer terminated plan this year).

The funds are on hold one week until the check clears.

Next Monday I will be allocating the amount a bit, once the funds clear.

I don't have enough time to research the dividend policies. I decided to just leave dh's portfolio as is until January 1, or whenever the dividends post for the year. Might as well make sure to get that (though maybe the dividend date passed and it doesn't matter). Just too much on my plate right now to look up for sure.

So, I will make my allocations on Monday and then do dh's the following Monday. Probably the plan.

**It is official that I have a surgeon. Dh and I met with the surgeon I initially met with (he told me nothing was wrong but sent me for an ultrasound just in case. So have only talked surgery over the phone).

The week has been stressful and crazy, and the whole thing sent me a little over the emotional edge. Nothing new or exciting, but it's all a little too much. All I can say is I was exhausted when it was said and done, and so though we ate out a ton this month already, we went out to dinner. I pigged out, had a great time with dh, and feel so much better.

2 more days of crazy before the weekend. I suppose the surgery will go back to the farthest thing from my mind for a few more weeks. Surgeon thinks I will get a surgery date in January.

Eh, I did find out the surgery will have to be at the old hospital (where I had my kids). I Was dreaming of private recovery rooms and pretty decor. But, oh well! Sounds like I will be in and out pretty fast. (I only had to stay 12 hours after giving birth - and that was too long!!!! So, I am not thrilled. Though it sounds like a 12-hour kind of thing. Something in that range. I suppose that is the best I can ask for a hospital stay).

**Dh and I stopped by the gym. It took about 5 minutes. Phew!!!! We pay $29/month for the 2 of us and it's something like $20/month for one person. The guy was trying to talk dh into staying for $15 per month. We were clearly not interested. It's like the dude hasn't been to the gym in over a year. He figured he may go more with the kids in school, but nope, he hasn't. It's long overdue to drop him from the plan.

So I asked the guy, "Can we just do one person for $15?" He's trying to tell us how one person is MORE expensive, which is just stupid. We weren't biting! He said, "Sure, we can do that."

When we left, I told dh I should have asked for $10/month! Probably could have haggled more, but it's relative. That was easy, and saves us $15/month.

We get to keep our lifetime childcare, too.

We didn't get any paperwork (but that dh cancelled), so I am wary until we get the next bill. Will see what it says. I will remember the guy who told me $15 though.

WE also didn't ask how long the rate was good. Old rate was forever. That said, they seemed so desperate to keep dh that I figure I just threaten to quit next time they raise the rate. I learned they take what they can get.

It was so fast and easy and I didn't realize the paper he handed dh said nothing about the rate, until later. Will see how it all pans out.

So, official, official, official. What a day!

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I scrounged $95/month today, between that and my state tax reduction. Yay!

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My parents are not into little kids so much. MIL would raise them if she could. (Night and day!)

But, anyway, my parents agreed (surprisingly) to meet dh and pick up the kids today, and deliver them to MIL until Friday when we will take them home. MIL had to take someone to the airport or something.

SO, dh and I went out and my mom calls to say she decided to keep the kids. I said, "Did she decide that or is your mom MIA?" (BTW, his mom being MIA would be kind of weird). HE said, no, his mom kind of asked them to keep the kids tonight.

Well, that is weird, but we decided not to destroy a nice night with MIL drama. Will take my mom's word for it.

She called a couple of times to ask about their bedtime and stuff. She has NEVER offered to take the kids overnight. IT's just not her thing. I think it's cute though. I think the kids are getting old enough and self-sufficient enough. I am glad they get some special time with my parents. Our parents are just so different. Similar in many ways, and completely opposite in others!

So, I am delighted they all seem to be having so much fun.

Dh and I get two whole nights to ourselves. Life is good! (Will miss the kids, but am enjoying the peace and quiet, for sure!!!)

California increased their individual tax rates/exemptions in 2009/2010.

This affected us substantially. Our annual income taxes went from about $600 to $1600. Ouch. However, these were also the years of the "making work pay" credit, so it kind of evened out.

Anyway, I initially saw taxes were going down (state) for 2011 and decided to leave as is for future tax increases.

THEN, I remembered how the state is issuing IOUs and delaying refunds, etc., etc., etc. I decided to *screw that* and change my withholding back. I would prefer to owe at the end of the year.

This will increase my paycheck by $80 per month.

Payroll tax holiday will buy me about $130 per month.

My Federal seems dead on, as is, so I will keep that withholding the same. Means I found another $210 per month, total.

That's $2520 per year. Piano lessons is $1k per year, each child. The rest will go to savings for next year's piano lessons. The payroll tax holiday is only a one year deal. I think if I start LM later in the year, and STATE tax rates stay low another year, I can fund 2 years of lessons.

It is also looking more likely we will max out our ROTHs next year. Maxing the ROTHs (from income/consistently) and affording piano lessons have been in my long range goals for many years. I thought all this medical/surgery stuff, 2 years in a row, would set us back much further.

2011 looks promising!

(I know, I know - how long until the state increases taxes again? Maybe this June with the budget? Likely! But I will enjoy in the interim. I am also presuming I bounce back quickly from surgery! Hoping for the best...).

**Talking to this potential piano teacher, I was reminded that our piano is LOVE Overdue for a tune. The plus side is that it can go a long time without getting tuned. But the downside is I don't think about it much.

Probably $75-ish? Oh well - it's time! (5 years since last tuned? It doesn't sound bad at all...)

**Today I stopped by Walgreens to get my razors for 1/2 off the full price. Glad I didn't forget!

**I wrote a check for the boss' gift at work (we all go in). By some miracle, I have $0 left in the checking account at 12/31 (Just about exactly!) and I should have the $3k to cash flow a ROTH contribution. Lord knows how. (I always run the balance to $0). I am still counting $1250 in eggs not hatched (regular cash gifts that may or may not come through) - but I have the tax refund to cover that in the worst case, I suppose.

I am probably forgetting something - that's how I feel.

**Dh and I have a date at the gym while the kids are gone this week. Though work is crazy, I generally am out at 5:00. So will spend some evening haggling a new gym plan without dh. I decided if we can go from $29 to $9/month (per sales ad) that paying $100-$200 up front may be worthwhile. Will see what our options are. We were also sold the same rate for eternity since we bought our membership before the gym even opened, BUT, they seem to offer the same deal to everyone all the time. I decided to just pull out the contract and compare the fine print from the new one to the old one.

The sales ad I have says $9 enrollment fees OR $9/month. Though in the past, the $9 is usually limited times/days. So, crossing my fingers that is the full membership with the New Years specials.

$29 was for 2 people. I think their regular price is $19 for one person.

**The game SET was on sale on Amazon today (about 50% off), so I bought one for the kids with our gift certificate. Will maybe buy a couple of others for gifts. Will check if my sister has it and if my dad still has his. If not, perfect gifts (& I can get them for free!!!)

**Dh wanted to buy a $30 gift card at amazon since we already bought $20 for my work gift exchange and there is a $5 added to your gift card balance (I think?) if you spend $50 in gift cards in December. I suppose we should just get that for my dad.

**If SET was $8, that is all we have spent from our $100 gift card balance. (Miracle???). That said, dh is waiting for the Christmas and birthday bounty. After his birthday, I am sure he will spend the rest in a flash!

I actually tried to buy some skate supplies ti fix up my skates, but messed it up so the gift certificate did not apply.

I'd like to buy BM some skates from amazon, but wanted to get my skates fixed up first. After tax season may be best, since his feet grow so fast!

Hmmmm, I am remembering why we keep Christmas so low key.

The last few days have been totally crazy (nothing to do with the Holidays!).

Work is crazy. I came in Sunday because I had to renew my CPA license and apply for a PTIN with the IRS. (They now charge me $60+ a year for the pleasure to prepare tax returns).

Firday, my boss asked me to get a new client all set up by Tuesday. Oy vey. So was able to get started on that. I am crunching numbers and figuring taxes/bonuses, etc., for every single business client I have in the meantime.

Today we got the tax law changes in our software. Some numbers I did not expect to change, changed. I have a headache just thinking about it. Went back and checked everything I already did - lots of changes. I am annoyed at Congress still, obviously for taking so long for last minute tax changes that affect 2010. I will praise our tax software company for the super fast update. Didn't expect that would be ready today!

On top of all this, we have a big audit coming up. When my boss hired me, he told me that his audit rate (IRS) was very low. HE did not exaggerate. We have only had a handful of audits over the years. Either clients that came to us to help with the audit (not our client before that) or the magic "3 years of losses." 3 years of losses will get you an audit, 100%.

As such, I have been a tax professional for over a decade, and have never been involved in an IRS audit. (Knock on wood!!!)

Just one more thing I have to work on, for the moment. Should be an easy peasy audit, but they asked for a ton of documents. Oy vey! I have to laugh a little because we are 99% sure a disgruntled former partner initiated the audit, somehow. But they are examining all of the partners' tax returns for the last year she was still a partner. So I have to giggle a little knowing that she will be scrutinized by the IRS too. Classic! KArma karma karma.

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I also came into the office Sunday to work on my asset allocation. I had my spreadsheet at work and couldn't find it at home.

I am consolidating dh's ROTH from 3 funds down to 2. I had him in Vanguard STAR, and the Total Stock Market & Total Int'l Fund. Simple, for dh. Investing and mutual funds is greek to him.

SO, I moved it all over to a Retirement Target fund. That said, I really like the STAR fund (balanced) and so kept some of that to keep it a tad more on the conservative side. (Not a lot, but a little bit).

The reason for all this hoo ha is that my boss terminated our retirement plan. It was a type plan where I had no control over (& he contributed 100% to it), so now I suddenly have control of the other half of our retirement. Had to figure out what to do with it - it is a chunk of change!

I was going to invest some in Wellington or Wellesly fund, but when researching it I saw one or the other (same management company) was under examination by the FBI. !!

So, yeah, a good reminder to keep up on the news. I decided to stick with STAR until that shakes out. For now, I just went with dh's old "3 fund allocation." I will probably re-examine later. As our portfolio nears six figures, I have a lot more room to diversify, etc. I am not sure if I just want to keep it simple at this point, or diversify more.

I have quite a few managed funds and a couple of bond fuds, as well as some cash, in my other ROTHs. I usually do asset allocations across all of our accounts, but I have a Target date retirement fund that has performed pretty well (T Rowe). So, I think I just want us to both have our Target date funds (on their own, for the most part) and maybe do a simple allocation for my work retirement money. I suppose I am moving the bulk of our investments towards simplicity, while still dabbling in diversification of managed funds for a smaller portion.

That said, when I figured out my assets allocations yesterday, I entered it all into the Morning Star X-Ray just to make sure there was no surprises. There weren't, so, phew! About 30% cash/bonds, 25% international stocks, and the rest to domestic stocks. Sometimes it is hard to estimate the actual holdings/percentages of certain funds. That is why I check the X-Ray.

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Dh and I are *slow* and forgot about the focus group I miraculously qualified for. I saw it on the calendar yesterday and was pretty upset about it since work is so crazy. Couldn't imagine how I could go, when dh told me that BM won't even be in town (Was staying with MIL). I probably could have worked it out, but appreciated the excuse.

Not sure they will ever call me again though! I canceled this morning - about 2 days notice. I know they plan for the cancellations best they can, but felt bad.

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The weekend was awesome! We finally made it to the Aerospace museum and the Star Trek exhibit.

The Star Trek exhibit was slightly dissapointing in that all the talk of it being "original sets" was greatly exaggerated on their website. Also, no cameras allowed. Pictures cost an arm and a leg.

So, you'll just have to take my word for it - I was there! I don't play the expensibe picture game - it's my pet peeve!!!

Other than that, the museum was pretty cool. The Star Trek exhibit was pretty neat. The kids' favorite part was the transporter room of course. They had the ship bridge, and parts of the ship set (those were maybe original - not the bridge or the transporter room though).

They also had a simulator with the exhibit. It was like this little pod they lock you in and swing you around in - with visual and sound of course. The kids really wanted to go. The rules were so extensive that no adult could go with LM, so we initially said no. I knew BM would be fine, but thought LM might FREAK. Finally, we overheard that they had a "mild" setting that did not go upside down. For the best, since the harnesses were for adults. I didn't think it was a good idea for LM to go upside down in that thing, under any circumstances. The kids LOVED it (mild setting) and BM weighed enough that dh could go on the wild setting with him. So they did that. Dh said LM would have been tossed all around, so worked out. BM was probably tossed around too, but he could hold his own.

Dh's GRandDad sent us about $100 for Christmas, and since we went to lunch and the museum with dh's dad and aunt, it seemed appropriate to use that money for it. I can write a nice Thank You note how we had the most awesome day with his son and daughter. IT really was a blast! IT was a rare time I could care less about the money. (The ride thing ended up costing us about $30. We spent about $60 on lunch, and they paid for our admission). The day was just so priceless and fun.

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On top of all that, I found a piano teacher. I told dh I wasn't really picky. I was a student teacher for many years, and don't have extensive music training. Well, nothing extraordinary on my resume - took lessons for 20 years, voice lessons for a few years, and marching band and all that stuff - I do know music! But no formal degree and never took it overly-serious. I know you don't have to be an expert to teach the basics!

But, I did prefer to find someone local/close. Was really my main criteria.

Lucked out and found a private teacher in our community. I really liked her on paper, and she used to be an elementary teacher at the kids' school. I asked for references and even told dh, "I doubt I will call - it's probably just a friend or something." I am just always suspicious of random references from strangers. The references ended up being people I know (one of them a teacher at the school). See what I mean? I googled this teacher and found she was a school teacher before, and she said on her sales pitch. I just wouldn't have realized it was at our school, otherwise.

LM is wary, and younger, and everything is so up in the air with my surgery, that I think I will just get BM started with lessons. I think it would be good for LM, but financially, I am happy to wait a few months. If this works out, I will add LM by summer.

I know group lessons would maybe be cheaper, but haven't found any yet. Will keep my ears open - I learned in a group setting - I think there were a lot of pluses to that. The student teachers did mini private lessons - was a real affordable set up. I need to find something like that for the long haul!

That said, $20/half hour is probably about as cheap as it gets. Dh said, "That sounds expensive!" I laughed and told him I used to charge more like $30 or $35 last I taught (1999???). I will take $20 from a pro teacher. Sounds like she quit teaching school in recent years (trying to build business) and I suppose in this economy prices would be lower. This is also a much lower cost area than where I taught before.

I think $15-$20/week is what we used to do with the group lessons. So I suppose I am sold on location and price, for now. Depends if the kids mesh with her teaching style.

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No wonder why I feel like I am going in 10 different directions!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I am meeting with my surgeon to grill him a little more about my surgery and decide if I want him to do the surgery. I like his personality, but we haven't discussed any of this in person yet, and I would like to know about his experience with this procedure. Just one more thing on my plate!

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Oh yeah, and there is all the crazy storms to contend with.

This is a park (soccer field):



Just how the whole neighborhood looks today. We usually worry about catastrophic flooding (failing levies) but this is the first time we've worried about a smaller flood. Ugh!

I suppose yesterday was the polar opposite of Friday.

Had a REALLY nice day.

Finally made it to the Star Trek exhibit at the Aerospace museum (which is just a few miles from our home).

Dh's aunt is visiting from the east coast, and so this is why we decided to finally go. She really enjoyed it.

The Star Trek part was somewhat obnoxious. No pictures allowed (unless you want to pay an arm and a leg for them to take one - like $15 a pop???). Forget that!

You'll just have to take my word for it, that I Was there.

Their wesbite also really talked up all the original sets and stuff, but I don't know if we saw much that was original. (Most everything clearly said "replica.")

It was still cool, just kind of annoyed by their sales tactics.

Anyway, we saw a replica of the ship's bridge, the hallway of the ship, Captain Picard's quarters, and some weird set they had from an episode of when they traveled to Earth's past. They also had the transporter room - of course! They had a TV screen where you could see yourself "disappear." I didn't realize initially that someone was manning it (thought it was just automatic). I think some poor guy had to "transport" the kids 100 times. We kept ending back there for some reason. Of course, I asked LM where he was transporting to, and he said "the basement." LOL. Mind you, you may have never met someone with a bigger imagination. So I said, "Well you can transport anywhere in the universe." "The basement." Okay, then.

In addition, part of the exhibit was a ride simulator. IT was just this little pod that they lock you in and flip you all around. The kids REALLY Wanted to go on this. Again, completely NOT LM's personality. So though I was proud that he was brave enough to try it, I didn't really think it was a good idea. He couldn't ride with an adult because you had to be of similar weight to whoever you rode with.

Thankfully, someone overheard our discussion about this and informed us that there was an "calm" setting so it wouldn't flip upside down. Looking at the "adult sized" harnesses I felt this was probably the only way LM should ride, anyway. But, of course, BM was not that happy about it. Oh well.

They had a BLAST and so dh rode with BM so he could do the upside down one. Keeping in mind my ride with the whales this year (& the endless puking) I decided I didn't want to give it a whirl. BM is lucky that he has an "underweight" father. They squeaked by on the weight difference. I figured BM has no fear and could hold his own. He did get knocked around quite a bit, but was worth it!

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Dh's GrandDad had sent us a check for about $100 for Christmas, so I figure the day was a treat on him. We probably spent close to $85 between lunch and all the rides (his dad paid for our admission).

Lunch was interesting because his aunt wanted Mexican and so we stopped at a hole-in-the-wall place by my work. It was a restaurant and then they changed it to a taco bar or taqueria. Was still good, though not the same extensive menu.

Anyway, in the months or years since we have been, they changed it back to a full restaurant. Woohoo! They have great lunch specials, so was a nice find.

We also tried a new pita place last week when dh met me for lunch. (YUM!) Down the street, a new Golden Corral popped up (the kids love that place - there is a Golden Corral at our half way meet up point, where MIL often picks up the kids for a few days).

I've spent so many years going home for lunch, I told dh with the kids in school, he needs to come meet me once in a while during tax season. Will be nice to get a break on days I may not be up to much more than a short lunch.

Oh, to top it off, dh spotted a Togo's! It looks like it has been there FOREVER. I usually drive a little out of the way for a Togo's for lunch. All along there has been one right down the flipping street? Probably best I didn't know.

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Anyway, the kids had a blast! I think we all did. But the best part was definitely watching the kids. Christmas money or not, I didn't give the money a second thought (which happens like never!) It was just a really nice and fun day.

I probably should pay more attention to the walgreens coupons, ads, etc. It is a store I frequent simply since it is the only store in our immediate neighborhood. I often stop by their to/from work when I need something.

Also, since dh does all the grocery shopping, I generally pick up:

My shampoo
my deoderant
razors
panty hose

stuff like that... Actually, every time I go in there, I browse all these things, and mostly pick them up when they are on sale.

I am pretty low maintenance, so that is about it. Occasionally make up.

Oh, and snacks. Maybe a soda once in a while. Since all we would have is boring/healthy food, otherwise.

Yesterday was a particularly crappy day and so I decided to pick up a nice cold soda last night. Sounded like a nice end to a long day!

Razors have not been on sale forever. Which is fine I suppose since it is winter. I ended up buying a couple of gifts while I was there, some shampoo, etc., so spent about $35. (I found the nicest gift for my mom for $5 - and got my dad's almond roca - so all set!!)

When I left, I got a $5-off coupon for next week. For the whole store (woohoo). I read all the fine print and decided I would just pick up some razors. A pack of them were $10, and I could get them 1/2 off this way, and be stocked up for a while.

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Dh is meeting my parents half way next week so that they can deliver the kids to MIL. They are staying with her for a couple of nights - will pick them up Christmas Eve and bring them home.

Anyway, told him to treat my parents for lunch (the meeting spot is a buffet that is actually good/cheap). The usual meeting place (another restaurant) has shut down. But we found a good replacement. Cheaper, too. Buffets are always awesome deals for the kids (they charge them little and they are bottomless pits!) Will treat my folks since my dad's birthday was this week.

My mom's birthday is also this month, so glad I found her a second gift at Walgreens.

It's birthday birthday birthday around here. It all hits December and July. Kind of funny how it works like that. Dh is January (close enough to December) and I haven't given him much thought. I think he was spoiled rotten this year, and we probably won't get him much. Usually we don't exchange gifts, but I bought him one last year. But even if no money is spent, would like to do something nice. (Of course, I may be having surgery or something, so I guess its hard to make any plans for the moment. Usually we get out of town without the kids, but the thought hadn't really crossed my mind. We aren't itching for a break since we just spent a week in Hawaii!)

A wee bit stressed.

Work is crazy, plain and simple. I hate that this time of year is so busy.

The kicker is that I hurt my knee. I am bummed because exercise is my stress reliever. I was also making some weight loss progress. (I refuse to diet - I rely on the exercise! )

That said, since I have surgery coming up, I feel kind of eh about it. I would have to gear up after the surgery and would lose a lot of this muscle I am sure. So, I feel like, eh, might as well be a lazy blob.

On the flip side, I will go to the gym and try the treadmill/elliptical. It might be okay. Unfortunately, aerobics is out. BUT, I don't go much during Jan - April anyway. So now is a good of time as any.

I am officially taking it easy. If it doesn't improve in a few weeks, will see a doctor of course. (Gah - so sick of doctors!)

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Reminds me, we were so stupid to sign up for the gym under dh's name. I work out rain or shine no matter what. Always have. Dh is not so consistent.

In the end, he hasn't gone in over a year. He was bothering me to buy something recently, and I told him to drop his dang gym membership. (All year - or2? - he's been telling me he will get back into it with the kids in school). I think they will make us re-sign up, but will hold my breath we can just change it to my name. If we start over, we lose the unlimited daycare and everything. But saving $10/month, for eternity, is a good idea I think. With the New YEars' specials, I may get $9/month if we pay more up front. That would save $20/month, and probably worth whatever the cost. HEck, maybe it would be better to switch over. I don't rely on their daycare much at the moment, so will work through it. Can still pay by the hour if I do need it.

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Chores this weekend:

*Renew my CPA license
*Choose Asset Allocations for new retirement money, and rebalance portfolio
*Tax planning for my dad (He worked pare of the year, not much, had disability and unemployment, and wants to convert some money to a ROTH).

Non-chores:

It's nothing but rain rain rain rain here. I read that it was a nina year (as opposed to el nino?). & that though there was TONS of rain and snow (in the mountains) that 90% of our rainfall would come by the end of this month.

Boy, they meant it. I am over the rain!

Weather is wishy washy as usual. Don't think we used the heat much this month, but last few days it's been running non-stop. BRRRRRRRR!!!!!

Anyway, probably going to the Star Trek exhibit. Had been waiting for better weather (for the rest of the museum - a lot outside) but give up!

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So, the tax breaks passed, huh????

I am not thrilled as far as the long term financial outlook of our country (& social security, etc.). & let's face it. These tax breaks will have been in place for 12 years. The longer they stay the more painful it is to raise taxes.

But, for me personally, sure, it's good. Might as well enjoy. What else can we do?

I would say quite literally the Bush tax cuts have been key in letting my spouse not work for so many years. IT's been 8 years at this point.

2011 held some uncertainty for us, but now it's kind of like, "well, we got 2 more years."

Social security tax holiday? It would probably literally be enough to max out our ROTH with our current budget.

BUT, there is one thing financially I have wanted for a long time that I could just not justify. Piano lessons for the kids. They aren't getting any younger and my attempts to teach them have failed miserably (we just haven't made the commitment). Maybe if we pay a small fortune we can find that commitment.

After the year is up, either I can pick up where the teacher left off, or dh may be working anyway. If nothing else, we can re-evaluate the expense.

I just think it is super important for the kids to have a music foundation and learn how to read music while they are young. I have tried to teach too many adults in my life. It's pretty much impossible.

I will probably just save it up and look into the lessons in April or May. If I can find group lessons, I may be able to afford both kids. Will see...

ETA: I found $80-$100/month for private lessons. Kind of what I expected. I can afford one kid with the payroll tax holiday, and the other will be pushing it, but may be worth it just to start them both. I forgot to mention, I am also working on dh to drop cable - which could help us afford piano lessons for the long run.

Well, that was random! I somehow got locked out of my dh's credit karma account, many months ago. I couldn't remember enough about it to call in (Don't remember which e-mail I used, etc.?)

So, I check another e-mail I rarely check, and he has an invitation to try out their new credit scores (3 different scores versus the one). On a whim, I tried to log in and got in the first time. Kind of disturbing since they told me the account was locked and he'd have to call, last time. Not so sure about that security, but glad I could get in.

YAY! It's been a great way to monitor our credit reports, for free. Not in detail, but to keep an eye out for anything unusual.

Meanwhile, I didn't get such an offer. Boo!

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Cash status for the year:

I have been trying tirelessly to get our cash to $30k, but the more I save, the more expenses we seem to have. Bah!

I do not like counting our eggs before they hatch, but if we get the usual gifts/bonuses for Christmas, I can cash flow the last $3k into our ROTH Efund (was our goal for the year - to add $3k more. Though I was going to wait for my tax refund to do that).

I can cash flow it, so might as well get that taken care of.

Which puts us right at $25k cash for the year, which was my secondary goal. Phew!!! As long as we have no cash emergencies between now and 12/31! (A lot to ask, huh? Though most anything we can card and pay next year, so I don't mind counting those eggs too much).

Put us at:

$5k Cash EFund
$10k ROTH Efund
$3k for Medical deductible 2011
$7000 Mid-term (house/car fund)
$0 short-term savings (breakeven for the year, as should be)
= $25k

Of course, I do have $1500 from tax refunds, expected.

For reference, I ended last year with almost $11k in the mid-term fund, but ended up using it all for medical expenses and budget shortfalls in 2009. Ugh!

SO, it feels real nice to start 2011 with almost $8k-$9k in that fund. Part of the problem was I over-funded medical (thought our expenses would be higher) so medical is funded already for 2011.

Dh paid just under $8k for his last car, and so I think it's a pretty good car replacement amount. (We've had the car for 9 years, and it is very low maintenance). The home maintenance on the horizon is pretty minor, so I am hoping we can make forward progress on this cash fund, this year.

I was going to hit the ROTHs hard this year, but I get paid 12/31 (instead of 1st like usual) and am cash flowing the ROTH cash contribution, first. From there, I am putting 100% of my savings in cash (2/1 and forward) until this whole surgery thing shakes out. Once I recover, I will resume ROTH contributions and focus on retirement.

Hope for the best; prepare for the worst.

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On the emergency fund, it feels good to get it to $15k. That is about 3-4 months of expenses for us. 3.5? Probably 4 months in an emergency (would cut some expenses in that case!)

$30k puts our entire cash savings at about 7 months' expenses, so that is my overall goal. If we had a catastrophe, we could significantly lower our car expectations and stuff like that. Basically, I would consider all of our cash in an emergency.

All ready for Christmas, I suppose. Seems more low key than usual. I really haven't had to do much of anything and don't plan to do much else. Did 100% online shopping, so why it seems easier. Dh would run my errands for me otherwise, probably. So, low key regardless.

Kids' classes just collected money for group gift.

Even for his family, his sister did the work and we are just reimbursing her. We had been doing big gifts in recent years (in return for many vacations, etc.), and there was talk of a big e-book gift or something like that. At first I wasn't thrilled, but the truth is it is a drop in the bucket compared to their generosity this year. So, whatever. But in the end we just did something more modest. Phew!

I have to wrap a gift certificate for a co-worker, and write a check for my boss' gift. That's about it!

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You know that annoying Chase commercial with all the "I am making deposits from the bathroom" talk? How exciting it is you can make deposits from anywhere?

It is an annoying commercial, but it rings true. Since I can scan my deposits (& don't have a smart phone), it's not exactly the same. But I have delighted in teasing the kids - telling them we have to go to the bank - and just taking them upstairs to the scanner. I am sure the novelty will wear off eventually.

My mom's checks have been more finicky - she pays half our cell phone bill (every other month - we share the cell plan). Needless to say, glad I only ask for it every other month. My paychecks go through smooth, which is good since those are the most frequent deposits I have.

Knock on wood, but I have never had to walk in a deposit since the scanner option. May take a few tries, but they have all gone through.

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I did my taxes today (preliminary) and am only getting back $1500. I had estimated $2k, with all the medical bills. I guess I estimated high. Not sure where I went wrong, but works out since so many other things have gone the other way this year.

I still think I can scrounge together $3k for our ROTHs. This takes care of half.

As far as next year, lord knows, huh? I met dh for lunch today and we griped about Congress and politics. The tax delay affects me so much, I am just really grumpy about it. "Wah wah, you drug your feet on this stuff ALL YEAR and this might affect your Christmas????" Don't get me started!

Anyway, I suppose maybe I kept the large refund knowing the making work pay credit expired this year. (I don't remember, but makes sense). If the other tax rates stay the same, I would be break even for 2011, except we will probably have more medical bills. But, again, I won't mess with my withholding for such a one-time thing. So, I think I will keep it the same for 2011. (Also, I read that state tax rates were going down, but I assume that has got to be really temporary - so again - will just keep paying in the same rates). Hedging for higher taxes in the near future, I suppose.

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I've mostly ignored my retirement this year since I haven't contributed much.

I probably am due for a rebalance. International seems to be really down for the year.

I finally got my retirement funds in hand (boss terminated plan). Only real difference is I have full control over it (versus none, before). I need to determine how I will invest these new funds, and how I will change my other allocations, accordingly.

I am thinking of shifting dh's retirement 100% into Target retirement funds. (Right now he has a 3-fund "lazy portfolio."). Done this way since he knows nothing about investing.

Though honestly, my best fund of late is my T Rowe retirement (has performed much better than Vanguards, in the short term anyway).

I may shift my stuff into the "lazy portfolio." In my ROTHs I have more managed funds and other stuff to consider in the rebalance.

All I know is I have to look at the big picture and rebalance everything.

I received enough money I can buy admiral shares to keep costs down. I am excited about that.

On the flip side, I won't add much to it because it is a regular IRA. We are in the bottom tax brackets, which doesn't make regular IRA contributions appealing for the moment.

I had a feeling dh would come out ahead with poker. We seem to have been on a good "small amounts of extra income" streak the last week or two.

Had fun with his friends, and is up $36. (I think the most they gambled was $20 - so started with $20 and walked away with $56. They aren't BIG gamblers! They actually started with $10 but dh lost early on and tried again).

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Wrapped the Christmas gifts we had when we got home today. (Weekend visiting with friends and family 100 miles away). I remembered that the kids owe me some money for gifts.

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Found some interesting TV shows (not new) this week.

For the macabre/disturbing, there is Breaking Bad. I can't put my finger on what I liked about it, but the acting was superb. Anyway, it was on the AMC channel - I have heard raving reviews about some of their other dramas, as well.

We had "Weeds" on NetFlix and though it was a somewhat similar concept (all about unexpected people getting into the drug business, due to money problems). I thought Weed really sucked, and Breaking Bad pulls it off well. I just could not get into that Weed show. Admittedly, Breaking Bad is not a feel good show, and it is a bit of a stretch. There is just something more enticing about it.

On NetFlix, dh shared the British Comedy - "The IT Crowd." Absolutely hilarious.

I think both of those shows are in their 4th season, at current.

Before dh, I never was into much of any TV shows or movies. But, I must admit, there is something about watching a show that has your sides splitting, that is priceless. Over time, I have come to appreciate the medium. (Comedy would be my genre of choice).

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Reminds me, dh is expecting a Roku box for Christmas. Our new/main TV actually has an internet connection, and hooks up to Netflix directly. I have really enjoyed it, but a lot of the programming is not for the kids' eyes.

The Roku would be for the TV upstairs. Dh seems open to dropping cable, on and off. So, not holding my breath. But, this would be a good step. I look forward to being able to watch Netflix "in the other room." I do most of my TV watching just before bed, anyway. So, can utilize Netflix much more with the Roku. I think dh wants to try out Hulu, too. (Has tried before, but not with the Roku. Tried a PC set up, last year?)

Why I am not holding my breath? Conversation with dh:

DH: "I think I have found cheaper alternatives for everything except Comedy Central."

ME: "Is Comedy Central really worth $1k per year?"

DH: "Yes, it just might be!"

I know not to get my hopes up!